Welcome from the Head

Welcome to this bumper issue of the Girls’ Division Magazine. It is an honour to present this round-up of all that we have achieved. The last academic years have seen much change and also growth in our School and this edition captures many of our adventures from September 2019 to August 2021. Reading through these pages, it strikes me that the resilient spirit and optimism, as well as grit and determination, which characterise our school, present themselves at every turn. You will no doubt recognise some very young looking pupils amongst the photos, as we cast our minds back to the Autumn Term of 2019 with reminders of the Toy Shop Trolley Dash, Y7 and 8 concerts, the Y8 Patterdale Trip, “As You Like It”, Y10 Film Day, Y12 BEST, International Women’s Day, the Poetry Festival and the 2019 Prefects’ Panto, amongst so many other events and achievements. We had already fitted so much in before the 2020 lockdown hit. Our opening article reminds us of how we continued to thrive even though pupils and teachers were meeting each other through screens from bedrooms, dining rooms and kitchens. There were many ingenious solutions to home learning but the high standards continued as we mastered technology for home directed learning. We were so proud to receive such positive feedback from so many members of our community. Of course the national move to online working and innovations in technology also allowed us to move much of our wider offering online too. The Perspectives Lectures, which were launched in 2021 as an evolution of our Enrichment series, saw us enjoying the possibilities and increased access created by our virtual reach. The inaugural lecture was quickly followed by a pioneering online performance of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s “Emilia” produced by the Drama Department who had already given us the radio performance of “Parr for the Course”. As you will see, the Music Department were not put off by a global pandemic either. Despite the difficulties of bringing performers together in harmony over Zoom, several pre-recorded concerts were aired and of particular note, in December 2020, the Ceremony of Carols, a highlight of the year, became a drive-in experience. The creativity of our teachers and students alike shines through and this edition is dedicated to all in our community who worked so hard to keep us moving through such a difficult time. The final pages also make mention of those members of staff who themselves retired or moved on during this time as well as the girls in our two successive Y13 cohorts who achieved their A levels and started the next phase of their lives. I would particularly like to mention here my predecessor, Miss Sue Hincks, who led us with such success from 2011 to 2021. It goes without saying that what you read here, as she steered us though unprecedented times, is evidence of her outstanding commitment to our school. Please read at your leisure and enjoy our celebration of school life from 2019-2021: two truly historic years. Mrs Lynne Kyle Head of Girls’ Division